Hey Everyone! Can’t believe we’re approaching our five year reunion this summer! I’m looking forward to seeing all of you in June. Kellie Duncan Clairmont married Matt Clairmont on September 16th; they are expecting their first child in December; Alyssa Karczmarek married Derek Crouse in November. Alex Winter married Jennie Huntoon ’10 on October 22, 2017; and Mi’kea Bowie Hawkins and her husband welcomed their first child, AJ, on October 7th.Torie Sullivan recently began working as a Senior Marketing Manager at EVERFI, a rapidly growing (and hiring!) EdTech company headquartered in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC. Contact Torie if you are interested in EVERFI’s open positions. Caitlin Witters Yeager has been teaching first grade in Virginia Beach. She and her husband welcomed a baby girl, Lillian, in October. In March they’ll be moving to San Diego. Nicola Sussman is teaching at Rocky Hill Middle and Wilson Wims Elementary both in Clarksburg working with ESOL and Special Education students. I, Elaheh Eghbal, continue to enjoy the marketing adventures at Zerion. See you in June! Cheers!

Hey, Class of 2013! Well, this year’s graduating class had red dinks. I’ll let that sink in for a minute…

Thankfully we have started enrollment for the class of…2039(?)! Elizabeth Garner Drummond and husband Scott welcomed a healthy baby girl, Isabel, on January 26; Megan Turcios and her husband Carlos welcomed their second child, Christian, on April 27; and Mikea Bowie Hawkins and her husband will be welcoming their first child in October. Casey Dunn welcomed baby girl, Reagan, on March 22nd and Amanda Blakeslee Darling and her husband welcomed a son, William Darling IV, on April 15.

Emalie Stroup was married in March; Gregory Eyler and Meghan Mannas ‘14 were married in May; and Jess Manuel is marrying Brandon Wilt in September. Breton Stailey got engaged to Cole Siler in February and is planning an April 2018 wedding; Darcey Heflin got engaged over the holiday season and is getting married in Fall 2018 in Mexico; and Christine (Teany) Meehan is engaged to Nathan Miller and looking forward to an October 2018 wedding.

Billy Lewis is HCM Support Analyst with Payroll Network Inc.; Meme Brown is certified as an assisted living manager and plan to start her own assisted living facility in the next two years; and Spencer Knoll has joined the office of Senator Chris Van Hollen as a Legislative Correspondent. Kris Fair is running for City Alderman; Nowreen Chowdhury is working for a multinational contract research organization as a Clinical Research Associate; and Trevor Shell is an Commercial Energy Consultant with Luminous Solar in New Jersey. Russel Holz works as a Full Stack JavaScript Engineer in Silicon Valley for a company called Dokkio; Dominick Baretta Fair is the Chief Technology Officer of SADOS, LLC in downtown Frederick; and Alexander Smith is a lead sales consultant for Best Buy Mobile and is almost finished an MA in interdisciplinary studies in human behavior at Hood. Carly Oeller is working as a program support assistant for the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine in Rockville, MD. She is also attending graduate school at Hood, pursuing a certificate in the Organizational Management Program. Heidi Gunzelman started work at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia as a research specialist in the Betts Laboratory and I, Elaheh Eghbal, continue to enjoy working at Zerion and living in Bethesda.

MJ Swicegood graduated with her MBA from Hood College; Brett Shelley is pursuing a PhD from Virginia Tech in Translational Plant Sciences; and Kate Adams Anthony graduated with her masters in teaching and learning elementary education. Steven Davis will begin a PhD in French Studies at Brown University this fall; and Christine (Teany) Meehan will be starting Penn State’s MBA program Spring 2018.

What’s shaking, Class of 2013? Somehow it still feels like graduation was just yesterday and yet, this year’s graduating class came to Hood the fall after our graduation…

Dallas Tolbard graduated from pharmacy school this past May and is now a practicing pharmacist in Richmond, V.A; Teany Meehan started a new job as a human resources generalist with ARK Systems, Inc. in Columbia, M.D.; and Geoff Huntoon is now a software developer at Mosaic Power in Frederick.

Kellie Duncan is living in Queens, N.Y. and is the family relations associate for Oasis Day Camps; Blair Starnes has relocated to the Boston area and is a lab supervisor at the Boston Veterans Affairs Research Institute; and Ian Ivory is living in Germany and working on his masters in cognitive science. Kimi Brunot Humphreys is working as a Career Adviser in the St. Mary’s College of Maryland Career Development Center; MJ Swicegood is an evaluation manager at Lonza in Walkersville, M.D.; and Kathy Lee is a Slot Tech II at Maryland Live Casino. Katie Techtmann Lamont is a learning support teacher at Paradise Elementary School; Casey Dunn is working for Washington County Public Schools; and Kate Adams Anthony is in her fourth year as an elementary school teacher and will be completing her masters degree in May. Ashley Birdsell Lewis has returned to Hood as an adjunct professor in the business department; and Nicola Sussman is in her second year of grad school in the reading specialist program at Hood and is a proud aunt to her first nephew. Elaheh Eghbal is the marketing manager at Zerion; Nick Temple has been sworn into the Maryland bar and is clerking for Judge Pamela J. White; and Gina Bonomo celebrated her first anniversary working with the Howard County Government and recently bought a home in Baltimore.

There are many engagements and marriages to celebrate, too! Blair Starnes is engaged to Matthew Dykeman and is looking forward to a 2017 wedding; Ashley Birdsell Lewis and Billy Lewis finally tied the knot in October; and MJ Swicegood and Geoff Huntoon were married in September. Alektra Daniels White married Winston White in August; Kimi Brunot Humphreys married Brian Humphreys in May; and Karen Crum is engaged to Tyler Nicklas and is looking forward to her October 2017 wedding. Katie Techtmann Lamont married Justin Lamont in June; Casey Dunn was married in October 2015 and is expecting her first child in March 2017; and Meg Turcios is expecting her second child in April.

Muli Shani, Class of 2013! Does anyone else feel like time is flying right past them? I sure do!

Justin Stone is a recent homeowner; Meme Brown is in the job market after graduating from Hood’s M.B.A. program; and Katie Triplett will be starting the M.B.A. program at Hood this year. Nora Jaskoski is an after-school tutor in Clarksburg; Adam Patterson graduated with his M.S. in Education and is teaching 7th grade at his alma mater, Sykesville Middle School; and Bre Carbaugh graduated in May with her Masters of Thanatology from Hood.

Mikea Bowie Hawkins has completed her first year of graduate school at Frostburg State University where she is studying Curriculum and Instruction; Diana Stewart is a mental health therapist in Frederick, M.D.; and Donna Clarke is a Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor working in Maryland.

Spencer Knoll is a Federal Policy Analyst at Sixkiller Consulting, Elaheh Eghbal is the marketing manager at Zerion; and Jahtay Teh will complete his service as a Peace Corps volunteer this August.

Stephanie Taylor Widmeyer married Hood alum Mark Widmeyer in May; Bridgitte McColligan Hessler married Mark Hessler in February; and, in May, Amanda Blakeslee Darling celebrated her one year anniversary to Will Darling and continues to work at Queen Anne’s County Office of the Sheriff.

Kellie Duncan has moved to New York City and is a manager for Oasis Day Camp’s Central Park location; Caitlin Stromowsky finished her third year of teaching special education in Montgomery County and completed her first year of Hood’s reading specialization graduate program; and Trevor Shell is the marketing manager at Sunset Hills Vineyard and 50 West Vineyards.

Kathy Lee has been a slot technician for a year and a half; Deryka Nairne completed her masters degree and is a residence hall director at the University of New Hampshire; Jennifer McCullough Lewis married Bart Lewis in January; and WilliamClose is stationed at Fort Caron, Colorado with the Army and is looking forward to making captain. Continue to rock on, Class of 2013!

Bonjour, Class of 2013! As always, we’re keeping busy — maybe even too busy! These days, we are working with different organizations, in the midst of additional degrees, and celebrating recent marriages!

Around the world, Kellie Duncan is living in Germany for the next month while being part of the opening team for the Norwegian Escape. In November she’ll set sail to Miami! JahtayTeh is into his second year as a peace corps volunteer in Zambia and Nick Mudgett has just returned from his time as a peace corps volunteer in Nicaragua.

We have a lot going on around Frederick, too! Ashley Birdsell graduated from Brooklyn College with her Masters in Fine Arts and is the manager of marketing at the Weinberg Center for the Arts. She and her fiancee, Billy Lewis, are living in Frederick, Md. Nicola Sussman is a homeowner! This summer she bought a house near Downtown Frederick and has started the education graduate program at Hood to become a reading specialist; Andrew Bodine is enjoying his position as Assistant Aquatic Center Manager and has started in Hood’s counseling program; and Giovanni Kavota is living in Downtown Frederick and is a company member of The Maryland Ensemble Theatre and a member of Baltimore Improv Group. During the day, he is a training & development coordinator for Country Meadows retirement community. Mi’Kea Bowie Hawkins is teaching Head Start for the YMCA of Frederick and Brett Shelley is Hood College’s Cross Country and Track and Field coach.

In the DMV area, Darcey Heflin is enjoying her new apartment in Alexandria, Va. and Kimi Brunot will be graduating in December from Loyola University Maryland with a Masters of Science in Counseling Psychology, is a homeowner, and looks forward to her May 2016 wedding! Nick Temple is looking forward to a May graduation from Georgetown Law and plans to return to Baltimore to practice; Meladeh Rabie McKinnon married John McKinnon and is enjoying life with her 1-year old son, Kaiden; and I, Elaheh Eghbal, am the marketing manager at Zerion Software, Inc. Continue to make your mark, Class of 2013, and keep in touch! Cheers!

Aloha Class of 2013! It’s incredible to see how fast time is passing and how it has been almost two years since May 2013. These days we are working with different organizations in the midst of master’s degrees and celebrating engagements and recent marriages! Nicola Sussman is living in Frederick and working as a special education teacher at Gaithersburg Middle School. Torie Sullivan is an inbound marketing specialist at TSL Marketing in Columbia, Md., and is living in Frederick. Ethan Weidman is working with the Southern California College Collaborative Project at the Boys and Girls Club in Santa Monica as the college bound marketing and outcomes specialist. Darcey Heflin switched career paths and is now a design patent examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office; Will Lane is living in Kittery, Maine and is working with the U.S. Navy as a radiological control technician at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard; and Jonathan Lovins is working in domestic counter-terrorism with the FBI Crisis Response Team and is living in Fredericksburg, Va., with his wife. JahtayTeh and Nick Mudgett are about a year into their service as Peace Corps Volunteers in Zambia and Nicaragua, respectively; and I, Elaheh Eghbal, am the customer success specialist at Zerion Software, Inc. Blair Starnes received her master’s degree from King’s College London and is working in the neurology department at Johns Hopkins Univ. MeMe Brown isin her second year of graduate school at Hood and is nearing the end of her second year as the graduate assistant to Rev. Beth O’Malley; Alex Winter is finishing up his last semester of graduate school at Eastern Illinois Univ.; and MJ Swicegood is working at Medimmune as a cell culture technician and is pursuing her MBA at Hood. Kate Adams Anthony is living in Georgia with her husband Benjamin Anthony and is in her second year of teaching. Stephanie Perkins married José​ Sánchez ’12 in June; they are living in Dallas, Texas with three rescue dogs. Ashley Maynard is engaged to James Michael Gentilucci, Jr. Continue to make your mark, Class of 2013, and keep in touch! Cheers!

Hello Class of 2013! Can you believe it has been over a year since our graduation? In the months since our last update, we have continued to keep busy. Many of our classmates are in the midst of their Master’s degrees, a number of us are working with different organizations, and we have many engagements and marriages to celebrate!

Congratulations are in order for Bridgitte McColligan who is engaged to Mark Hessler; Kate Adams Anthony who married Benjamin Anthony in May; Mi’Kea Bowie Hawkins who married Adrian Hawkins in February; and Elizabeth Garner Drummond who married Scott Drummond in July 2013. Kimmy Bates is looking forward marrying Toby Getzandanner in August; KeKe Smith has planned her May 2015 wedding to Jeremy Raynor; and Ashley Birdsell and Billy Lewis have started planning their December 2015 wedding. Mandy Shanaberger and her husband Colin celebrated their third anniversary in July and welcomed their son, Mark, in February!

Torie Sullivan is working as a graphic designer and multimedia specialist at Caervision; Kellie Duncan is working as a youth counselor for Pride of America Cruise Line in Hawaii; and Bridgitte McColligan was promoted at The Advisory Board. Kate AdamsAnthony completed her first year of teaching third grade and moved to Georgia to live with her husband; Heidi Gunzelman is working as a research technician in the Immunology Department at the University of Pittsburgh; Kimmy Bates is working for Frederick County as a wastewater treatment plant operator; and Nalla Tejera is working as an office manager with the Miami City Ballet. Kasey Johnson is working at the Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky as a heritage apprentice; Billy Lewis is working in attractions at the Bronx Zoo in New York;and Elizabeth Garner Drummond is a special education teacher in Bowie, Md. Nilsa Gonzalez moved back to her home country of Panama and is working at Integrity Solutions; Mandy Shanaberger is teaching middle school social studies in Hagerstown, Md.; and Brett Shelley has accepted a position with the USDA. Kyle Dimock will begin his service with Teach for America this fall; KeKe Smith is working with Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc. in Petersburg, Va.; and Stephanie Taylor is working as a research technician with Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc. Ian Wolbert started a job as the communications manager for The Patuxent Partnership; Ashley Birdsell is working as the marketing resident at the Public Theater in New York; and Spencer Knoll managed a campaign for State Senate seat in Montgomery County and has moved to D.C. to work for government relations firm Sixkiller Consulting. Nick Mudgett is doing well as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nicaragua and Jahtay Teh left in June to embark on his Peace Corps service in Zambia.

AshleyBirdsell is halfway through her Master’s program in performing arts management at Brooklyn College in New York City; Michael Andrews will begin a Master’s in experimental psychology at Towson University this fall; and Deryka Nairne in the higher education and student affairs administration Master’s program at the University of Vermont.

Around Hood, Andrew Bodine is the assistant manager of aquatics; Breanne Carbaugh is halfway through her Master’s in Thanatology and is a nanny to two children; and Brett Shelley is working on his Mater’s in Biomedical Science. Mimi Brown is pursuing a Master’s of Business Administration and is the graduate assistant to Rev. Beth O’Malley and I, Elaheh Eghbal, have completed my term as the AmeriCorps*VISTA member at Hood and accepted a position with LIFT-DC. Continue to make your mark, Class of 2013, and keep in touch! Cheers!

Hello from the Class of 2013! Thank you to those who provided exciting news to share in our first column for the Hood Magazine. In the months since graduation, we have been a busy bunch. Many of our classmates are pursing Master’s degrees, a number of us are working with different organizations, and we have many engagements and marriages to celebrate!

Congratulations are in order for Sarah Hering who is engaged to Shawn McNalley ’12 and is looking forward to a July 2014 wedding; Kimi Brunot who is engaged to BrianHumphreys; Nicole Crutchfield who will be marrying Trevor Tabbachino in April; and Travis Kerr who is recently engaged to Jessica Becker ’12. Congratulations to newlyweds Ashley Darling Genova and Brent Genova who were married this past August. All the best!

Kellie Duncan is working as a youth counselor for Pride of America Cruise Line in Hawaii; Kate Adams is teaching third grade at Glenn Dale Elementary School; Justin Stone is teaching fourth grade at Emmitsburg Elementary School; and Ashley Darling Genova is the marketing and promotions manager at Godfrey’s Farm in Sudlersville, Md. Jeffery Reichert is now working for Interfaith Housing Alliance as their administrative support; Bridgitte McColligan is a performance technology coordinator for The Advisory Board; Kasey Johnson is working as a field archaeologist for R. Christopher Goodwin and Associates; Melayne Newman is an account coordinator with Hirshorn Zuckerman Design Group; and Kimi Brunot is as an administrative assistant for Vintage Security. Nicole Crutchfield is working as a rehabilitation counselor for youth; Amanda Kessler is working at Clearspring Elementary School as the resource and learning center teacher; and William Lewis is working for Red Horse Strategies in New York City. Meghan Hauenstein is working as an infant teacher in California and just celebrated her son’s first birthday! She is headed back to the classroom as a student to receive her teaching certification. Alexander Smith is working as an administrative assistant at Glenwood Academy and Nilsa Gonzalez is working at The Whole Self Center with their intensive individual support services. Sarah Hering and her fiancé Shawn McNalley ’12 have landed their dream jobs. Sarah is teaching Kindergarten at Lewistown Elementary School and Shawn is working for Suburban Video media company. Olivia Wolz is now working for Affiliated Computer Services; Jasmine Woolard is putting her biology degree to use as a quality control technician at Medimmune; and Kacie Stuckey is working as a kindergarten instructional assistant at C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School and will be going back to school to receive her teaching certification. We will be saying ‘bon voyage’ to Will Lane and Nick Mudgett in early 2014 as they embark on their service as Peace Corps volunteers in Ecuador and Nicaragua, respectively. Until their departures, Will is a research and development intern at Evapco and Nick is the marketing specialist for Taxware.

Spencer Knoll is pursuing a Juris Doctorate at the University of Maryland School of Law. Kimi Brunot is also in Baltimore pursuing a Master’s degree in counseling psychology at Loyola University in Maryland. Dallas Tolbard is pursuing a Pharm.D at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Throughout the United States we have Nicole Crutchfield in the social work Master’s program at St. Leo University in Florida; Alex Winter in Illinois pursuing a Master’s in biological sciences at Eastern Illinois University; Ashley Birdsell who is pursuing a Master’s of fine arts in performing arts management at Brooklyn College in New York City; and Deryka Nairne in the higher education and student affairs administration Master’s program at the University of Vermont. Across the pond, Travis Kerr is studying Immunology at the University of Aberdeen School of Medicine and Blair Starnes is pursuing a Master’s of Science in forensic mental health at the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London.

When you come back to visit campus, you will see a number of us keeping busy at Hood. MeMe Brown is pursuing a Master’s of Business Administration and is the graduate assistant to Rev. Beth O’Malley. Andrew Bodine is the assistant manager for the aquatics center and the assistant men’s and women’s swimming coach; Breanne Carbaugh is enjoying her time in the Thanatology program and I, Elaheh Eghbal, am serving as the AmeriCorps*VISTA member in the career center and enjoying my Master of Business Administration class.

Although our time as undergraduate students has passed, the memories we made at Hood will keep us tied forever. Continue to make your mark Class of 2013 and keep in touch! Cheers!

Giving to Hood

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